


Just like looking at the sunset

by crystalklances



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Smitten Keith (Voltron), Soft Keith (Voltron), Soft Keith/Lance (Voltron), Stargazing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trans Lance (Voltron), Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, casual pda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 21:30:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16026353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystalklances/pseuds/crystalklances
Summary: Keith has been friends with Lance for a while, and has long since been aware of his feelings for him. As he's taking Lance home to visit his parents for the first time during semester break, he's hoping to finally confess.





	Just like looking at the sunset

**Author's Note:**

> For Alex. Thank you for giving me the fuel to write more fluff of Klance getting together! I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you'll love it!!
> 
> Small life update for those who don't already know from my twitter/tumblr, I got a part-time job recently, and you might also remember that I've been struggling with my health. I've also finally started working on a personal project (very very slowly, but it's happening) so all of that combined means updates on multichapters and new fics will be even slower. I hope you'll still be looking forward for new pieces I write, and thank you for the support! It means a lot to me.

Keith sighed and leaned against the window. In response, there was a muffled whine, reminiscent of a cat you disturbed in its sleep. He smiled, adjusting just slightly so he could see Lance while putting one arm around him so both of them were comfortable, but keeping his head against the glass.

They were on the train, a long ride departed in the middle of the night. Keith was used to getting up in the dead hours of the dawn and making do with little sleep, but Lance liked his beauty sleep. So it hadn’t been unexpected at all when Lance ended up with his entire body on the bench they shared in the compartment, curled up against Keith’s side and resting his head against his chest like it was the most comfortable pillow. Keith never minded when this kind of thing happened; he felt proud that Lance felt so comfortable with Keith as to nap on him. Maybe Keith enjoyed it a little more than he should.

He raised a hand and gently booped Lance’s nose, eliciting another kitten-whine. “Hey,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “Aren’t you supposed to not sleep in your binder?”

“I’m not,” Lance mumbled sleepily. “I stole your jacket.”

Keith huffed a laugh. “Right. You only do that approximately every other day.”

Lance huffed. “I never see you try to stop me, so you don’t get to complain now. But for real, I’m not. I’m wearing the zipper one.” A suppressed yawn. “So no need to worry.”

“If you say so.”

“Remind me again why we’re even taking the train so early?”

“Because it’s a long ride and we’ll be able to get settled in and relax, but still have some hours of the day left.”

“Right. And if your parents are anything like my family, they’ll want to spend quality time.”

“Yup.”

This wasn’t the first time they took a trip together during a semester break; they’ve been friends for a while, and Lance had invited Keith to come home with him pretty early on. But this was the first time Keith took Lance home in turn. Truth be told, he was nervous. He hoped that his parents would like Lance. He hoped that Lance would like them, too. Of course, the chances of that _not_ happening were slim, but still.

He also hoped that, maybe, he could finally take the next step forward. That might be a weird thing to hope from a trip to introduce your best friend and roommate to your parents, but for Keith, it’d mean a lot.

Lance stifled another yawn, so Keith chuckled. It took him everything to not lean in and feather a kiss to Lance’s hair. Instead, he murmured, “Try to sleep some more if you’re so tired. I’ll take care of everything.”

Lance hummed something unintelligible. “You’re gonna wake me up if something important’s happening, right?”

“Of course.”

Once Lance’s breathing evened, Keith blew out a slow breath. This ride was gonna be long in more ways than just the time it took. But even if he couldn’t do much with Lance napping on him, he would revel in every second of it. Even if he couldn’t act on each of his impulses, had to keep his yearning in his heart most of the time, this was the sweetest experience.

Spending time together with Lance like this, sitting together snuggled up so closely or casually holding hands, it never failed to fill Keith with fluttery warmth, starting from deep within in his chest and settling all the way down to his stomach.

And he swore to himself that soon, he would tell Lance.

Sometime during the late morning, Lance woke up from his nap, leaning away from Keith to sit up straight on the bench while stretching his arms.

Keith tried not to stare, but he would never get tired of the way his varsity jacket was _just_ a little too big for Lance, enough to make him look adorable and _so comfy_ wearing it, but not outright drowning in it. There was also that red was such a good color on Lance. And the way Keith’s heart always beat at full volume when he saw his own name on Lance’s back.

He had never understood the whole high school cliché of the boyfriend jacket; he had never been interested in anyone, never dated anyone despite being a jock who had been able to mix with any of the crowds at school. But then he met Lance at college and everything changed when Lance stole his jacket for the first time. Now he _knew_. And he didn’t even have to make a conscious effort to give his jacket to Lance, because Lance seemed to love wearing it. Talk about lucky matches.

When Lance reached underneath his shirt to zip his binder closed, Keith leaned forward to fetch a bottle of water from his bag. He handed it to Lance, a wordless gesture of _I’m looking out for you, let me take care of you_. While Lance was nurturing in the emotional sense, this was Keith’s way; providing for him, making sure he was safe.

Lance took the bottle with a smile, a silent _thank you_. His still-droopy eyes showed that he had just woken up from a nap, but his features were as warm as ever. Keith smiled in turn as Lance took a swig from the bottle before handing it back. Keith took a gulp from it as well; not caring that the bottle was shared. They’d been sharing drinks for ages. Sometimes, Lance joked about how it was an indirect kiss. Another cliché that Keith only understood now, years later, with his longing to kiss Lance’s lips.

It didn’t take long anymore for the train to reach their destination. They grabbed their bags and stood to walk to the exit as the train slowly rolled into the station. They were traveling fairly lightly; because they shared an apartment off-campus, they didn’t have to deal with needing to clear everything out. Packing what they needed the most, things they couldn’t separate from, as well as a few sets of clothes was enough. Especially for Keith, who still had some of his belongings at his childhood home.

His heart started beating faster when it hit him again that he was bringing Lance _to his childhood home_. A wooden house a short distance away from a desert town that was comfortable for a family of three, but had no guest bedroom. He hadn’t brought up the fact yet that Lance would share his room. He’d felt nervous even though they were so close they could comfortably share space and get snuggled up all cozy on the couch. Somehow, it felt more intimate to share the bed that he’d slept in all his life, in the room that held all his memories of growing up. Sure, he had always shared Lance’s room when visiting his family, but that was different—Lance’s childhood room still had two beds, as he used to share it with his twin, Rachel. But Keith was an only child, and he knew that both he and Lance would be stubborn to be the one sleeping on the floor.

Just as Keith wanted to speak up, the train came to a stop and the doors opened. He huffed out a breath, swallowed down his words, and stepped off the train to take the lead with Lance following right behind him.

He scanned the platform and easily found his parents. It wasn’t hard, really: both of them were fairly tall, and the family resemblance was visible at first glance. He had always felt proud to share features of both of them.

There was also that his dog, Kosmo, was with them, and Kosmo was so big he really wasn’t easy to miss. Keith smiled when he saw that Kosmo was wagging his tail excitedly at the reunion. Having to leave him behind had been a painful aspect of moving further away for college. It was one of the things he and Lance had bonded over—because Lance had grown up on a small farm and had been so used to being around animals all his life.

He turned his face to the side to shoot Lance a smile—encouraging to quell any nerves Lance might have—before striding forward to meet his parents.

When he was just a pace away he greeted, “Hey Mom, hey Dad. Hey, Kosmo.”

“It’s good to see you again, son,” Dad greeted. Mom smiled.

Not surprising, they had their arms around each other in such a casual, yet obviously loving way. Being exposed to this kind of display of love all his life, being raised from this love, it seemed obvious that Keith, too, would show his affection for Lance in the small ways; lacking in flash, usually, but always from the heart.

“It’s good to see you, too.” Keith smiled. Then, he said, “Mom, Dad, let me introduce you to Lance.” He turned to the side. “Lance, meet my parents, and my loyal dog.”

“It’s nice to meet you, uh—” Lance greeted, extending his hand. Keith could hear the hint of shyness in his voice; noticeable to him because he’s grown so familiar, so attuned to Lance through all the times spent together. While most people knew Lance as the guy with infinite social confidence, Keith knew that it wasn’t always like that.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Mom said, the first to shake Lance’s hand. “There’s no need for formalities. Just call me Krolia.”

Dad followed suit right after. “I’m Texas. Keith told us a lot about you.”

“Oh? He did?” Lance’s tone was a mix of surprised, curious, and something Keith couldn’t place right then. Keith, meanwhile, couldn’t decide if he wanted to glare at Dad or reassure Lance that he definitely never talked badly about him.

“Only good things, don’t worry.” Dad chuckled. “Let’s get to the car and drive home.”

They all walked towards the exit of the station to get to the parking lot, Lance next to Keith on one side, Kosmo on his other. The car ride was pretty uneventful; Dad driving, Mom in the front seat, Keith and Lance next to each other in the backseat, with Keith in the middle and Kosmo half on the third seat, half on Keith’s lap. Keith’s heart skipped several beats when Kosmo allowed Lance to pet him right away. Lance truly was good with all animals, and he felt proud that Kosmo accepted Lance so readily.

When they stepped inside the house, Mom said, “Go rest up and settle in while we make lunch.”

Keith nodded and motioned for Lance to follow him upstairs. Kosmo walked ahead of them and settled in his usual spot on the bed the moment Keith opened the door to his room.

Now there was no more stalling.

There was a moment of silence before Lance remarked, “There’s only one bed.”

“Yes.”

“ _Oh_.”

Keith took a breath and said, “You can have the bed. I’ll camp on the floor.”

“No, it’s fine, I don’t mind. No sleeping on the floor. We can share the bed.” Lance giggled nervously. “I mean, I already nap on you all the time, right? So what’s the difference in sharing your bed? Only if _you_ don’t mind, of course.”

Keith exhaled, feeling the tension he didn’t realize he’d been holding in his shoulders dissipate. “Okay. That’s good. I don’t mind. As long as _you’re_ comfortable.”

“You should know by now that I’m very comfortable with you,” Lance said, voice so soft and sincere, no trace of nagging despite the wording.

“I know. And I’m so glad you are. I just…” Keith breathed a laugh, shaking away the need to justify. “I’m happy you’re here with me.”

Lance smiled. He walked over to the bed and sat down, putting his bag down by his feet. The scene looked so _right_ , like Lance had always been meant to be here, in Keith’s childhood room. Like they’d always been meant to share the bed wherever they went.

When Keith joined him, leaving just a bit of space between them, Lance said, voice still soft, “I’m happy I’m here with you, too.”

 

Sharing the bed with Lance didn’t bring along any awkwardness about cuddling in their sleep. For one, they were used to being snuggled close in their day-to-day life. And second, there wasn’t any cuddling in their sleep: because night after night, Kosmo decided he _had to_ sleep between them on the blanket, trapping Lance right by the wall and Keith close to the edge.

Keith couldn’t decide if he should be disappointed or glad about that.

He was disappointed for sure because as much as he loved Kosmo, he definitely wanted to hold Lance in his arms, but the most he could do like this was reach out a hand. On the other hand, with Kosmo cuddle-blocking them like this, Keith would definitely wind up confessing soon, without overthinking. Just follow his instinct and shoot for the stars because he knew that Lance was the one for him, trusting that it would all work out fine, that he was the one for Lance, too.

He was sure that his parents could tell, judging by the knowing glint in their eyes at each mealtime, each session of board games, each trip they all made together. Not to mention all the casual remarks that were just code for “Nudge, nudge, you two should date!”

Keith wondered if Lance had ever felt like this when just about every member of his large family did this kind of thing during Keith’s visits. He wondered if both of their parents would dive right into planning their marriage if they ever met. Which was a dangerous thing to think about, when Keith had to _confess his feelings_ first. He couldn’t just skip straight to proposing, as tempting as that would be.

But it would take until the second week of their stay for Keith to go through with it.

He had known for years that, one day, he would go stargazing with Lance in the desert; because of their shared love for space, and because of how romantic it was. And so, on a day the sky was completely clear, Keith took Lance out after dinner, as dusk was settling. Just the two of them, not even Kosmo.

And it was perfect. A crescent moon was rising along with the first stars. By the time Keith stopped the car at his favorite spot, the night was lit up with countless constellations. He jumped out, grabbed the blanket he always had in the car from the backseat and walked up to a rock. He folded the blanket out over the flat surface, sat down, and patted the space next to him.

Lance finally joined him, his lips parted in awe as he stared up at the sky. In the darkness, Keith couldn’t see much more than Lance’s silhouette; his upturned nose, the curls of his hair, his frame concealed by the too-large hand-me-down jacket protecting him from the cold of the desert night. His eyes looked as inky as the night sky rather than bright like the clear summer sky on a lazy afternoon. Even if he couldn’t see them right now, Keith knew that his cheeks were dusted with freckles like constellations of stars.

He had always thought that Lance was as beautiful as any wondrous occurrence in nature. He was even sure that he looked at Lance the same way he looked at the sunset. Because that’s how Lance made him feel: awestruck, at peace, marveling at the beauty of life and feeling full of gratitude for what a wonderful gift it was. That he was alive, and that he was able to share it with people he loved. That he was able to share it with _Lance_.

In retrospect, maybe he should’ve taken Lance out to watch the sunset instead and tell him all of this right as they watched the scenery. But it didn’t matter—this moment right here, it was perfect. Keith could feel it in his heart.

Neither of them spoke for a moment until Lance whispered, “It’s beautiful.”

“More beautiful than stargazing at the beach?” Keith prompted with a lopsided smile, even though he knew Lance couldn’t see it.

“Don’t make me pick! They’re both the same level of beautiful, just different. And don’t think I don’t know you’re doing that Keith-smirk of yours!” Lance huffed. Then, he nudged Keith’s shoulder in a playful way. “Thank you for taking me here.”

“I’ve been waiting for the chance to do it.”

“Really?”

“Yup. Since forever.”

“So like me showing you the beach.”

“I guess so.”

They broke into soft laughter at the same time.

Another beat of silence, then Lance said, “I don’t know why, but I can’t help but feel like there’s another reason you brought me here.”

“Really now?”

“Yeah. It’s like, it’s just like in my favorite rom-coms, you know? Where the love interest brings the protagonist somewhere romantic to confess their undying love.” Lance laughed softly. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just reading too much into the mood.”

“What if I tell you that’s exactly why we’re here?”

“Then I’d be so happy, you have no idea.”

“I think I have a very good idea,” Keith murmured. He took Lance’s hand, lacing their fingers slowly. “Because I want to tell you how I really feel.” He took a breath and looked right into Lance’s eyes in the darkness. “I’m in love with you, Lance.”

For a heartstopping moment, there was silence. Then, a breathy laugh and Lance leaned forward until their foreheads touched, the tips of their noses bumping. Keith could feel Lance’s breath on his skin, warm against the cool night air around them. It would be so easy to initiate a kiss right now. But not yet, not until he was absolutely sure that Lance wanted it, too.

“I was dreaming of this, but I didn’t dare hope it would happen,” Lance whispered against Keith’s lips. “I’m in love with you too, Keith.”

Keith couldn’t help but laugh softly. “You have no idea how happy I am.”

“Oh, I have a very good idea if it’s anything like how happy _I_ am.”

Their laughter mixed, carried into the night by the breeze. Keith raised his other hand to gently cup Lance’s cheek, marveling at the sensation of soft skin and silky hair against his calloused fingertips.

“I’m gonna kiss you now, okay?” Keith murmured.

“Yes, please.”

Keith adjusted the angle so their lips could finally meet. And it was anything he could’ve ever imagined, and so much more. Lance’s lips were velvety soft, and Keith already knew that he wouldn’t ever get tired of the feeling.

The kiss was soft and chaste, but it didn’t stay as just one; even as they resumed gazing at the sky, they stayed in each other’s embrace and stole little kisses, full of smiles, laughing softly every time they parted.

When they finally drove back home what seemed like an eternity later, Lance asked, “Do you think Kosmo will finally let us cuddle tonight?”

“I sure hope so,” Keith said. “There’s only so much cuddle-blocking a guy can take, even if it’s his own dog doing it.” A pause. “Wait, you wanted to cuddle the whole time, too?”

“I mean… that was the whole point of sharing the bed. I’ve wanted to do that for _ages_. Sometimes I was _this_ close to pretending the heater broke so I could go sneak in your bed.”

“Okay, that settles it. Kosmo can go bother my parents tonight. I’m gonna give you the best night of cuddling, ever.”

Lance laughed softly. “I can’t wait.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/crystalklances), [tumblr](https://crystalklances.tumblr.com) and [instagram](https://instagram.com/crystalklances) where you can find out about different ways you can support me!


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